


The left side of the road

by multifandomcircusfreak



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, possible trigger for bad driving, the AoS family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 20:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3264065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomcircusfreak/pseuds/multifandomcircusfreak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Jemma took a deep breath as she began recalling the steps from her safe driving course that she'd taken when she was a teenager. She hadn't driven outside of that course, and now they wanted her to man the getaway car?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The left side of the road

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't really want to post this, because I don't like how it turned out... but here it is. Also, I used a text editor for the first time, so please tell me if it flows better or worse in comparison to my other fics. Thank you! Please comment, and most of all, enjoy!

Jemma sat anxiously in the driver's seat of a S.H.I.E.L.D. van, awaiting her teammates' return. She wasn't nervous about being spotted, or at least not completely. The van had been spray painted to cover up the organization's logo, so now it looked like a regular black mini-van. They weren't uncommon in the suburbs where she had grown up. The vehicle wasn't the problem.  
  
She looked at her watch for what was probably the tenth time in the last 15 minutes.   
  
"8:55..." she sighed. Only 5 more minutes to go until the time they'd said they'd be back by at the latest. _What could they be getting themselves up to now?_  
  
As if on cue, the glass on her window was tapped. She turned to see what it was and let out a breath of relief when she saw Fitz's face. Her calm left her once again when he tapped on the window more urgently, and pointed at the lock.   
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed in a whisper and pressed the button to release all the doors. Coulson had made her lock them before he left. _'For safety precautions'_ he'd said.   
  
Fitz quickly climbed into the passenger's seat, followed by Coulson and Skye who scooched into the back. The hacker was typing furiously on her laptop, her brow furrowed in concentration.  
  
Jemma was about to ask out of habit how the mission had gone, but judging by Fitz's anxious expression and Coulson's darting eyes, it hadn't been smooth.   
  
Suddenly, a sound came from near their van, whose source Jemma could not see. She didn't know who or what it was, but they must have been important because Coulson yelled "Drive, Jemma, drive!" immediately after it happened.  
  
"What?!" she exclaimed in a panic. "No! Someone else drive!"  
  
"I'm a bit busy right now," Skye remarked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Coulson," Jemma pleaded.  
  
The director looked around anxiously, before saying "I can't!  I need to rearrange some important plans! You know, to make sure we survive."

She felt her chest constrict from anxiety. Jemma turned to her partner, "Fitz, can't you-"  
  
He held up his hands in protest, "Don't look at me! I haven't passed my driving test again after my brain damage."  
  
The large booms coming from behind them grew only louder and more frequent. _Why us?_ Jemma thought.  _Why me?_  
  
Skye kicked the back of her seat forcefully and growled "Just _drive!_ "  
  
Jemma took a deep breath as she began recalling the steps from her safe driving course that she'd taken when she was a teenager. She hadn't driven outside of that course, and now they wanted her to man the getaway car?  
  
"First rule," she murmured. "Adjust the rearview mirrors."   
  
She fumbled about with the mirrors for a moment, making sure they were proper. A small part of her knew she was stalling, but either way, she liked the procedures and routines. They calmed her down.   
  
"Second rule," she recited. "Is everyone buckle-"  
  
Skye kicked her seat again, when another boom echoed from behind them. " _DRIVE!_ "  
  
"Okay, okay, okay!" Jemma shrieked.   
  
Throwing procedures to the wind, she slammed her foot on the pedal. She didn't anticipate how fast it would go, lurching them all forward. She hadn't driven a car in years! Trying to slow them down so that they didn't crash into the building on the other side of the street, she pushed the other pedal. She presumed (hoped) it was the brakes.  
  
After a nauseating attempt at maneuvering the vehicle, Jemma finally made it out onto the road. She was too scared to look at the dial on the dashboard that would tell her the speed, but she was pretty sure it was too fast. She continued to hold her foot down on the gas, not letting up on it even though her brain screamed at her to slow down.  
  
All was somewhat fine after they made it out of the lot. There wasn't a car in sight, leaving the road clear for her to try and drive in such a reckless way. That was, until some cars came around the bend. Straight for them.  
  
"Jemma!" Fitz yelled, stuck to his seat due to their speed. "You're on the wrong side of the road"  
  
"No!" she yelled back, weaving in between the cars that opposed them.  
  
"Simmons, what are you doing?!" Skye growled.  
  
"Driving!" she exclaimed in frustration. "Like you told me to!"  
  
"I thought you said you had a license!" Coulson added.  
  
"I do. I got it in _England_ , where we drive on the _left_ side of the road!"  
  
Jemma yanked the wheel to one side, and she swore that she saw smoke coming from the van when she looked out the window. Everyone groaned in unison, before screaming as a truck came towards them. She tried to get out of the way and into the other lane, but cars continued to pass.   
  
Finally, Coulson reached over her seat and took the wheel from her hands. Jemma closed her eyes as soon as she could, only reopening them when the honking of other vehicles had stopped. Now on the correct side of the road, Coulson put the car into an automatic setting.  
  
"Switch," he said, out of breath. Jemma could only nod, words abandoning her, and gladly took the place the director had once occupied, allowing him to drive.   
  
When they got back to the base, all of their eyes were still wide in horror. Jemma tried to stand up straight after getting out of the van, only managing two uncoordinated steps before she collapsed onto Bobbi. Skye ran immediately to throw up, Coulson didn't look much better, and Fitz was still locked in the same terrified position in his seat. Jemma had to remind him that they were no longer moving.  
  
Half an hour later, Coulson sat in his office, going through Simmons' files. In big bold letters, he wrote under her escape plans "NOT CLEARED FOR DRIVING". He was never going through that mess again.   
  
It was for the best.


End file.
